Fritz PT | How Posture Affects the Shoulder

GO TO THE PAIN, NOT THROUGH THE PAIN

The days of “no pain, no gain” are hopefully in the past. The idea of emphasizing pushing through discomfort to achieve results is not an effective solution for most people dealing with a painful condition, injury, or chronic condition. In fact, recent research suggests that a more holistic approach is effective and, indeed, safer for patients. Pain is our body’s way of letting us know that something is happening in the body. When a nerve ending is triggered, an impulse travels to the

412.278.1221 | FRITZPHYSICALTHERAPY.COM By respecting the body’s pain signals and working within a therapeutic window, our approach aims to achieve long-term functional gains without the risks associated with pushing through pain. At Fritz Physical Therapy, we educate our patients about pain to help them understand their conditions better and actively participate in treatment. Our therapists can help you learn “pacing,” where activities are broken down into manageable parts, helping you to avoid extreme ups and downs of feeling good one day and an increase in pain and inactivity the next. brain, alerting us that something is happening. It is a warning sign or an alarm. How this impulse is interpreted varies from person to person and is influenced by a multitude of factors. Aggressively pushing through pain can worsen the underlying issues and potentially result in long-term damage. The key is getting help from people who work with painful conditions every day, like our therapists at Fritz Physical Therapy! How Physical Therapy Can Help You Find Relief In cases of musculoskeletal disorders and injuries, applying excessive stress on already agitated tissues can prolong the healing process and even cause further injury. In comparison, going to the pain but not through it means cautiously approaching the edge of discomfort without crossing it, which can help your body progress without delaying your recovery. Our objective is to work within a “therapeutic window”: a range of activities that stimulates the body’s natural healing mechanisms without triggering negative responses.

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